House Democrats blasted the Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) for charging Democratic New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver with allegedly assaulting federal agents during an early May skirmish at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Jersey.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba on Monday announced the charges against McIver in a post to X, saying the House Democrat had “assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement” during a clash outside the ICE detention facility. Habba added that “no one is above the law — politicians or otherwise.”
Several House Democrats have criticized the DOJ for charging McIver, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said in a joint statement with members of his leadership team that the charge against McIver is “extreme, morally bankrupt and lacks any basis in law or fact.” The Democratic leaders added that they “will not be intimidated” by the Trump administration, “not today, not ever.” (RELATED: Jasmine Crockett Calls Republicans ‘Inherently’ Violent As She Shrugs Off Her Own Party’s Extremism)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 14: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on December 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. Jeffries spoke on the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act and other year end legislative matters. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Democratic Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider, who chairs the liberal New Democrat Coalition, claimed in a statement posted to X on Monday that his group will “continue to advocate” for McIver, adding they “will not back down, and we refuse to be silenced.” Schneider also stated that he believes McIver did “nothing wrong” and “nothing illegal.”
Similarly, Democratic Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chair of the left-wing Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), of which McIver is a member, claimed in a statement posted to social media on Monday that the DOJ’s charges against the congresswoman were “baseless.” He added that the CPC members will “stand firmly” with McIver, and will also “pursue every legal and congressional avenue to defend the right of elected representatives to uphold the law.”
“Attacks against our federal law enforcement will never be tolerated,” a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “No one is above the law, and the Department is fully supportive of U.S. Attorney Habba’s mission to ensure justice is served.”
McIver’s office, Jeffries’ office, Schneider’s office and Casar’s office did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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